The main indicators Gross Domestic Product (GDP)- this is the value of all goods and services produced within a country. It is usually measured in US$ and calculated per capita. This makes comparisons between different countries easier. Alternatively you could be faced with Gross National Product (GNP). The difference is that GNP also includes goods and services produced by that country overseas. GDP is probably the most widely used indicator. It implies a lot about the country. If the figure is high it suggests they have a large number of productive industries producing goods. It also suggests that the service industry is well developed. (Services include things such as hospital and schools. If the figure is low it suggests that the country has few industries and few services so therefore a poor standard of living.)
Advantages of using GDP/GNP as an indicator:
Disadvantages of using GDP/GNP and an indicator:
A useful figure for comparing countries. Often used to rank countries to establish a fair system of aid payments.
Can hide inequalities as it does not show the distribution of wealth.
Is a good indicator of the state of the economy and provision of services.
Can be manipulated by governments who want to appear poor to collect more aid.
Fairly easy to calculate from official government figures.
Does not take into account subsistence or informal economies which are very important in less developed countries.
Demographic Indicators of development:-
Infant mortality: this is the number of infants that die prematurely. You need to check the figures because it could be the numbers that die before they are one or five. It could be as a percentage of the births or a per thousand figure. Just check carefully before using. This will tell us the state of the countries health service, food provision and water quality:
Advantages of using infant mortality as an indicator:
Disadvantages of using infant mortality as an indicator:
Indicates quality of health care, water quality, food supply.
Hard to get an accurate figure as many births in the less developed countries would be un-registered.
Very easy indicator to understand.
Evidence from some countries that the level of infant mortality is well above that disclosed.
Focuses on one of the most significant aspects of development.
High infant mortality could be a result of social or political factors. For example in China the figure would be very high because of the countries one child policy.
Birth Rate: a simple one, the number of people born per thousand people per year. A high birth rate indicates a low level of development due to a lack of contraception or the need for large families. (See The Demographic Transition Model in the Population section.) A low birth rate indicates a high level of development.
Advantages of using birth rate as an indicator:
Disadvantages of using birth rate as an indicator:
Clear indicator of a countries level of development.
Can be affected by population policies such as China's one child policy.
Can be used for predicting the future situation and planning accordingly.
Figures in less developed countries not necessarily accurate.
Death rate: this is number of people who die per thousand people per year. It will be a clear indicator of the level of health care, quality of water, sanitation, accommodation, and food supply.
Advantages of using death rate as an indicator:
Disadvantages of using death rate as an indicator:
Indicates level of health care provision, water quality, sanitation, and living conditions.
Does not actually tell us what is responsible for the high death rate. For example a high death rate could be a result of a natural disaster not poor health care. OR a population may have a high % of elderly so the Deaath rate may be higher than a country with a high % of young
An easy to use indicator.
Very difficult to get accurate figure from the less developed world.
Human Development Index (HDI)
A comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living. It is a standardised way to compare well being, especially child welfare, in different countries.
It can be used to measure the impact of economic policies on the quality of life of people in the country
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report:
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"
Thus, sustainable development is defined as balancing the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment. The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three constituent parts: environmental protection, economic sustainability, and social justice.
Development should lead to an improvement in peoples standard of living (quality of life)
Development Indicators S Cool Geography revision site
The main indicators
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - this is the value of all goods and services produced within a country. It is usually measured in US$ and calculated per capita. This makes comparisons between different countries easier.
Alternatively you could be faced with Gross National Product (GNP). The difference is that GNP also includes goods and services produced by that country overseas.
GDP is probably the most widely used indicator. It implies a lot about the country. If the figure is high it suggests they have a large number of productive industries producing goods. It also suggests that the service industry is well developed. (Services include things such as hospital and schools. If the figure is low it suggests that the country has few industries and few services so therefore a poor standard of living.)
Infant mortality: this is the number of infants that die prematurely. You need to check the figures because it could be the numbers that die before they are one or five. It could be as a percentage of the births or a per thousand figure. Just check carefully before using.
This will tell us the state of the countries health service, food provision and water quality:
Birth Rate: a simple one, the number of people born per thousand people per year. A high birth rate indicates a low level of development due to a lack of contraception or the need for large families. (See The Demographic Transition Model in the Population section.) A low birth rate indicates a high level of development.
Human Development Index (HDI)
A comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living. It is a standardised way to compare well being, especially child welfare, in different countries.
It can be used to measure the impact of economic policies on the quality of life of people in the country
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report:"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"
Thus, sustainable development is defined as balancing the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment.
The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three constituent parts: environmental protection, economic sustainability, and social justice.
See: Sustainability explained through animation